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This paper presents a case study in implementing security improvements that are performance-based and specifically adapted to the needs of a particular city, namely Lincoln, Nebraska. The case study includes discussion of thosefactors that all utilities face, from the type of field conditions, to the staff, and the political andgovernmental conditions this public agency had to consider. This paper demonstrates how totransition from a vulnerability assessment, to a planning process, to a procurement process for selectingvendors, and finally to implementation of a security program with changes in technology, training,procedures, testing, and staff changes to make the program work. The Lincoln Water System (LWS) had quickly developed recognition for the need to change to become more secure, but was notprepared to develop its program alone. The utility made a conscious decision to turn over theresponsibility to EMA to lead the vulnerability assessment, followed by planning, construction, andimplementation of security measures from start to finish. At every step, Lincoln challenged each featureto verify need and application to their system, but they were not as familiar with the techniques andcapabilities of technology and organizational improvements that would be needed to achieve the desiredlevel of performance. EMA and Lincoln recognized the need to take initial steps with a pilot project toevaluate the best equipment, systems, procedures, protocols, and organizational improvements availableto protect the water system from threats. Results from the pilot could then be applied to design a fullscaleset of improvements for all LWS facilities. Includes figure.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 04/10/2005 Number of Pages: 6 File Size: 1 file , 250 KB